Press corps targeted during riots in India

August 14, 2012 4:42 PM ET

New York, August 14, 2012--At least three Indian journalists
were attacked over the weekend during protests by Muslim groups calling for news
coverage of the deaths of Muslims in the ongoing ethnic tension in the state of
Assam, according to news reports.

Mumbai-based Muslim groups staged demonstrations in the city
on Saturday, protesting against the violence in the northeast and accusing the national
press of failing to cover attacks against Muslims, news reports said. Long-standing
ethnic tension between the Bodo tribe, who are largely Hindu or Christian, and
predominantly Muslim Bengalis immigrating to Assam from Bangladesh exploded in
fatal riots in the state's Kokrajhar district in July, according to news
reports.

News accounts reported that Saturday's demonstrators
targeted photojournalists and TV crews when the rally turned violent. The Times
of Indiareported that the protesters were asking the identities of
media persons and the outlet they represented before attacking them.

At least three photojournalists working for daily newspapers
were targeted, news reports said. Vivek Bendre, of the national The Hindu; Prashant Sawant, of the local
Sakal Times; and Atul Kamble, of the local
Mid-Day sustained injuries in the
violence and sought treatment at a local hospital, the reports said.

Protesters also set fire to the van of ABP News, a private
news channel, in the streets of south Mumbai, according to the local website Newsbullet.
Other news reports said that a total of three news vans had been burned, but
did not name the news outlets.

"We're alarmed that protesters are selectively attacking
journalists for what they believe to be inadequate press coverage of their
issues," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "Muslim leaders should
condemn such violence and call on their followers to refrain from attacking any
journalists, irrespective of their affiliation."

The Hindustan
Timespublished a first-person account of the riots by an unnamed journalist
at the scene.

"A few photographers and I started running ... when a mob of about 400 people
clashed with us. We got separated and each of us was attacked by at least 25
men," the contributor wrote. "They asked us which media organisations we work
for. When I told them, they punched me. They tried to snatch my camera, and
when I resisted, they beat me up and fled with my mobile phone."

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